By Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed up the schedules of leagues around the globe and the NBA has been no exception.
One of the compromises the league had to make was to postpone the 2020 Draft for November 18 amidst the short offseason which might force teams to make trades sooner rather than later and it will without a doubt affect the choices at the Draft night.
A lot of European prospects pulled out of this year’s Draft in the 11th hour, however, there will still be a number of them featured and there is a solid chance that as much as five of them get picked up in the First Round. Two are lottery pick material for sure.
Deni Avdija
Age: 19
Height: 206cm
Weight: 100kg
Wingspan: 210cm
It all starts with Deni Avdija who is considered the best international prospect this year. The 2001-born Israeli forward attracts a lot of attention with his two-way versatility. He’s got the size and length which will be a huge plus on defense as well as a faster adjustment to the physicality of the NBA. On the offensive side, he’s got the skill set of a playmaker and is able to create with high IQ as well as run the floor. He can shoot quite well – although there’s room for improvement – and has shown fearlessness when taking numerous shots in crunch time.
At just 19 years old, Avdija also brings to the table what many European prospects have as an advantage over their American peers – experience. To be more precise, the experience of playing at an elite level against grown men, professional players.
He accumulated minutes in the Israeli League as well as the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv for the past three years, especially so last season. He was named the player of the year in Israel and became the youngest MVP in the league’s history. One of his standout performance came in a do-or-die Game 3 of the quarterfinals against Hapoel Tel Aviv, notching a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Deni impressed the Golden State Warriors who hold the No.2 pick and there’s a small chance they could pick him up but it’s more likely he will go to one of the teams at four through seven – Bulls, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Pistons.
Kilian Hayes
Age: 19
Height: 196cm
Weight: 98kg
Wingspan: 204cm
He may not have gotten the same amount of attention but Killian Hayes silently enjoys the status of a lottery pick. Most mock drafts put him at No. 8 which belongs to the New York Knicks who are interested in Hayes, however, the Wizards and the Suns follow and might also want him. If he drops out of the lottery, the Kings and the Pelicans might be a good fit.
The American-born French guard played professionally for two years in Cholet while last season, he competed with Ulm in Germany and the EuroCup. He started all 33 games last season and averaged 11.6 points, 5.3 assists, and three boards.
Hayes showcased his maturity and playmaking skills at a high level in EuroCup and especially so with his ability to drive the lane, force help, and dish out the extra pass to the three-point line. He’s got an upside as he is expected to improve his range and shooting percentages as well as add some muscle to cope with the physicality.